VEGETABLE SELLER TO A SUPER BLOGGER.

This piece of writing is about ZHOU.

WHAT?????

Who Zhou?

Okay, Okay, Zara thand rakho (be cool ) , lemme use some desi lingo I M sure all of us (at least most r familiar with the (in) famous ad, ‘An IDEA Can change U r (W) Life”, what an IDEA sir JEE? Well, I must say a blogging can change u r life! ........... From a local vegetable vendor at some obscure location in china to a superstar darling blogger 26 yrs old, jobless, bespectacled guy who was featured in TIME Magazine(Feb 4 , 2008) held the flag of civil society high in china..................................... Mr. ZHOU a.k.a Zola.

Zhou’s vault to web stardom (and knighthood of Civil Society Championship) came in April 2007 when he was visiting Chongqing, a municipality in central China. Intrigued by a dispute that pitted a property developer against a “stubborn” homeowner whose refusal to leave his property had blocked the launching of construction, Zhou began to write blog entries, posting its videos and still images on the web. The incidence got eyeballs of vibrant cyber civil society in China; the developer and local govt. was apparently embarrassed by the publicity and they soon came to an agreement with the house owner. ZHOU was acclaimed and interviewed by various foreign reporters.
Soon ZHOU became a thorn in the eyes of the state with its site blocked. Zhou as usual used bloggers’ tricks to evade BLOG-BLOCK and kept his blog online. But ZHOU’S luck ran out when he travelled to Shenyang to interview victims of pyramid scheme involving a supposed aphrodisiac powder made of crushed ants. Victims were handed over cash and were told that they would get guaranteed 30% annual return if they kept supplying ants. Ultimately the scheme collapsed and hundreds of defrauded investors protested against the govt.
ZHOU was picked up by police and guys police in china is one step ahead of PUNJAB POLICE , so no prizes for any guesses what happened top ZHOU in the police custody : HE WAS SMASHED BY A (in)VALOUROUS COP.

ZHOU is now released from jail but has retired as an active blogger. The lack of democracy, liberty and freedom of civil society in China can be traced to the lack of freedom of expression and that’s why young people like ZHOU entre into the arena of cyber journalism by using blog as a platform.

Source :- TIME MAGAZINE(Feb 4 , 2008).